William wanliss



(No Model.)

W. WANLISS.

DEVICE FOR DRIVING BIGYGLES 0R VELOGIPEDBS.

o 0 W wk w W Patented Dec. 7, 1897.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM WANLISS, or JOHANNESBURG, sourrr AFRICAN REPUBLIC.-

DEVICE FOR DRIVING BICYCLES OR V ELOCIPEDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pate'ntNo. 594,921, dated December'7, 1897. Application filed October 30,1896.. Serial No- 610,580. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WANLISS, a British subject, and a residentof J ohannes- .burg, South African Republic, have invented a certain newand useful Improved Device for Driving Bicycles or Velociped es, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for driving bicycles and velocipedes,whereby the treadles are made to take a slightly-curved upward anddownward motion in place of a circular one, the travel of the foot islessened, and a considerable increase of leverage is gained.

Figure -1 shows the device in side elevation. Fig. 2 shows the device inplan. Fig. 3shows the device in end elevation viewed from the front ofthe machine.

My invention consists of two wheels S S, keyed or otherwise fixed to thespindle O of the driving-sprocket K of a' bicycle or velocipede, onebeing placed on either side of the sprocket. A series of cogs or teethare cut or cast on a segment of the periphery of the wheels S S and intowhich gear the similar teeth of two sectors X, fixed to and working onradial levers B B, pivoted at their farther ends F as far as possiblefrom the sectors in order to obtain the longest convenient radius.

The radial levers B B are of skeleton form and at the ends next to thesectors X are'provided with long slots which are wider for nearlyone-half their length U than they are for the remaining portions, thetotal length of the slots being equal to double the distance 1 betweenthe center of the wheels at O and of a small stud O in the end of one ofthe arms of each wheel plus the radius of a small friction-wheelrevolving on the stud G and which travels in the slots of the radiallevers B B, their action being, in combination with the latter, to carrythe sectors up and past the uncogged portions of the wheels S S afterthe downward stroke has been made; but they do not come in contact withthe narrower part of the slots until the downward stroke has nearly beencompleted. In' order that no stress may be exerted through the levers BB and that the whole of the leverage action may be through the medium ofthe cogs on the sectors X and wheels S S, the slots in the they enterthe narrowportion of the slots in the radial levers and immediatelycommence to lift the latter and the sectors attached to them past theuncogged portions of the wheels S S in'readiness for the next downwardstroke, the wheels S S being so keyed or fixed to the spindle O thatwhile one sector is being depressed the other is being raised by meansof the friction-wheel V and levers B B, as above described. The radiallevers are made with two curved arms projecting outward at anyconvenient distance from their ends and which, together with the end ofthe lever B, are connected to a plain rim or sector D, to which thecogged sector X is fixed.

The radius of the pitch-line of the cogs in the sector X is equal to thedistance between the pivot F of the radial lever and the pitchline ofthe cogs on the wheels S S, the number of the cogs in each sector beingsufficient to cause the wheels to make nearly half a revolution beforethe sector falls out of gear and is ready to be raised for the nextdown- Ward stroke by the friction-wheel V and le-..

ver B B, as before described.

For the purpose of stiffening the sectors and to maintain their verticalaction I form on the backs of the cogged sectors X webs or feathers E E,which travel in slots or grooves in either end M M of a triangular stayP, the

apex of which is fixed to the front stay J. of

the bicycle and the base to the box or bearing L, in which the drivingsprocket-spindle 0 works.

The treadles A A are of bracket form and are'cast on or fitted in anyconvenient manner to the radial levers B B, and from the foregoingdescription it will be seenthat the foot has merely to move upward anddownward almost in a vertical line instead of having to describe acomplete circle, as in the present form of driving-gear.

In addition to the parts above mentionedthe following parts may bementioned as forming a part of my machine:

H, I, J, N, and \V are parts of the frame.

G is the sprocket-chain, and Q the spindle of the small rear sprocket. v

T T are dotted lines showing the position of the radial lever at itsupper and lower stroke.

V V are dotted lines showing position of friction-wheel when the sectoris raised or lowered to its extreme limits of motion.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of myinvention, I declare that what I claim as new is- 1. The combination oftwo slotted radial levers each pivoted at one end and carrying a coggedsector at its other end with two wheels, a segment of the periphery ofeach of which is cogged to gear on the downward stroke with the sectorsthe connection between the wheels so that they will maintain a fixedrelation to each other the feather or web in the back of the sector thetriangular stay and guides in which the feathers or webs work, thepedals attached to the radial levers and the friction-wheel revolving ona stud in the outer end of one of the arms of each wheel, substantiallyas described in the foregoing specification and on the accompanyingdrawings.

2. In an improved device for driving bicycles and Velocipedes theslotted radial levers B, B carrying the cogged sectors X on their outerends, the two wheels S, S a segment of the periphery of which is cogged,the shaft upon which the two wheels are rigidly mounted the feathers orribs E, E at the back of the sectors, the triangular stay P, the guidesM, M, the pedals A, A attached to the radial levers, the friction-wheelsV on the ends of one arm of each of the two wheels S, S, substantiallyas described in the foregoing specification and on the accompanyingdrawwas.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM VVANLISS. \Vitnesses:

WILLIAM JOHN ROBSON, J OHN COMRIE.

